speaking of jack...Part I

lets look at somethings I'm jacked up for:

1. The Dark Knight

Even though the untimely death of Heath Ledger has dampened some people's excitement for this flick, I've been able to polish my fan boy hat and keep my level at status quo. (I am a trooper.) The excitement level is now through the roof thanks to this link sent to me by future contributor Dr. T.

Dark Knight Bootleg shot most definitely by Kramer, not Jerry

2. The new GI Joe Movie

I'm both excited and cautiously terrified at the prospect of this movie. There is little I loved more as a young lad growing up in the oil soaked fields of Mechanicsburg than GI Joe. Part of me thinks that this could be amazing if they keep it true to the comics and don't try and make it campy and kid oriented like the cartoon. One good thing I've read is that Joe comic scribe, Larry Hama has been hired as a creative consultant. Lets keep our fingers crossed. Here is some of the casting as of right now:

• Dennis Quaid- Hawk
• Channing Tatum- Duke
• Marlon Wayans- Ripcord
• Sienna Miller- The Baroness
• Rachel Nichols- Scarlet
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Echo from Lost)- Heavy Duty
• Byung-hun Lee- Storm Shadow
• Said Taghmaoui- Breaker
• Ray Park (Darth Maul)- Snake Eyes
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt- Rumored to be cast as Cobra Commander

yesssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lost and found

Hooray, this Thursday marks the much anticipated return of Lost. Everyone remember what's going on? Gee it only feels like it's been seven months, not eight. Last season ended with the much applauded finale, but in true Lost fashion brought about more questions than answers. Many are anxious to see what direction the show is going as we head into the fourth season. I found one man's opinion. TV critic, Alan Sepinwall, over at http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/ had this to say:

Sorry to be a tease, but I just got done watching screeners of the first two episodes of "Lost" season four, and all I can say is that the season three finale was no fluke. They've got their mojo back. I shall say no more until Thursday, but geeks get ready to feel very, very happy.

Alan's site is a recent find of mine, as he's all about The Wire, and always has tremendous episode reviews as well as insightful comments from other readers...which is nice, cause how many people do you know that you can talk Wire with? I can't wait to read what he writes in regard to Lost. Hopefully it has a lot to do with Jack having this huge beard still.

Speaking of Jacks with Beards, I was toying with the idea of having a Jack vs. Jack competition. Lets take a look at the other contender:

beep...beep...beep...qpowritghapgona;l....previously on Jack vs. Beards

Hmmm...a Jack vs. Jack competition...a competition of this nature would need a witty title that grabs attention...a beard off? No, too boring....I Cry a Lot vs. I Kill a Lot?....no, too long....hmmm...how about a Jack Off? Yes! Now we're talking. Edgy and topical! This Jack Off needs a poll! Loyal readers, express your God given right, and get your vote on.

quote of the week

Good to hear Tony Kornheiser back on the radio this week. While it's true MNF might not be the best fit for him, listening to him again this week proves he's definitely most comfortable on the radio. On the January 24th show, Tony and his studio mates were discussing this article from the Washington Post.

For those who don't like to click:

Nine D.C. government employees are being fired for viewing pornography on their work computers, including three who looked at inappropriate sexual images an average of about 200 times per work day in 2007, city officials said yesterday.

Each of the nine employees clicked on porn sites more than 19,000 times last year, according to the results of an internal investigation of 10,000 government computers, officials said. Three visited such sites more than 39,000 times apiece last year, the investigation found.

Thirty-two other employees who visited porn sites more than 2,000 times will receive letters of reprimand or suspensions.

Tony comments how 39,000 times a year seems "excessive", when David Aldridge comes up with this great line:

"It would seem to me that if you're doing it 39,000 times....you're doing it wrong."

Sort of makes you look at David Aldridge differently doesn't it? Not in a particularly good way either. Perhaps now that he's not ESPN's NBA expert, he's had some free time on his hands to become a different kind of expert.

product spot light

By now it's pretty evident that I have no real direction or voice for this blog. So in keeping with the "mixed-bag" theme, I've unveiled yet another segment...product spot light.

Word of this product was sent my way via Michael T. Yambags. Thanks for the link Mike, it's a phenomenal find.

I would not be surprised if you saw me at you your next Halloween party* dressed like this:

*or just hanging out with you on a Wednesday

Yes, I know this is the second Dumb and Dumber reference I've used in a row. Deal with it.

If you have a terrific merchandise find, shoot it my way and I will determine if it is worthy or not to share with the world. (i.e. the 3 of you who read this)

good news puck heads

Anyone a huge fan of Versus having the NHL TV contract? (rhetorical question, NO ONE likes this move) Well, there may be some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel (of love).

Our favorite mullet wearing ESPN Hockey guru, Barry Melrose had this to say on the Dec. 20th, Dave Dameshek show:

(okay, so maybe not the most timely of information)

No way... that's great... we've landed on the moon!!

Dave Dameshek- "Speaking of depressing things, what are we going to do...maybe you and me can put our heads together Barry, how are we going to get puck back on ESPN? That's where it belongs right?"

Barry Melrose- "Well we're really hearing a lot of good things right now at ESPN here and talking to the Players Association and the NHL... and the players definitely want it back on ESPN. ESPN wants it back and the NHL would like to come back to ESPN, so I gotta think when those three people get together and they all want to come back to ESPN, I gotta think it will get done at the end of the day. So all of us here at ESPN, who love hockey, are cautiously optimistic that next year hockey will be back on ESPN."
........

So that's great news right? I mean, I can't see that hurting the NHL assuming ESPN can squeeze a commercial or two in between ads for the WNBA, MLS, Billiards, Poker, X-Games, PTI rip offs, and Rock, Paper, Scissor championships.

For real.

Also, one would hope that this would ensure a hockey highlight in the first half hour of Sports Center instead of buried in the last ten minutes. If I had any stroke, I'd contact Barry Melrose and ask him to click his skates together three times, saying "there's no place like home" each time.

new lows

This writer's strike has got to end. Not only is there an abundance of reality teee-veee and game shows, NBC has apparently green lit a show called Lipstick Jungle...which I can only assume is some sort of doggy porn. I mean...I love my dogs, but I don't looooooove my dogs. Sick bastards.

self help

and by self help, I mean, let me...help you


The Wire is possibly the greatest show ever. People are often surprised that I enjoy such a serious show seeing as I'm not often perceived as being real solemn. (I struggled with deciding to add quotes around 'perceived' or 'real solemn', ultimately forgoing either decision. I mean, I probably spent a good 90 seconds pondering the comedic value of quotation marks.)

(And my wife wonders why the hallway isn't painted yet.)

Anyhow, what were we talking about? Oh right...The Wire, currently in it's last season, is a must watch. (Seasons 1-3, currently on sale at circuit city for under $40 a piece, not too shabby for a HBO season) What stands out to me the most is how real it is. It's been described as documentary like, or a snap shot of Baltimore city life.


To that sentiment, I'd have to agree. I mean, looking back on it, when I went on a confirmation field trip to Inner Harbor with my church, I was basically living "The Wire". No, I wasn't slinging crack on the corners, or a whistling stick up man with a sawed-off, but there was some serious tape recording going on. A few of the guys and I kept telling funny stories into a tape recorder and then would almost piss ourselves listening to the stories played back...sometimes sped up so we sounded like chipmunks, sometimes slowed down so we sounded like Emmit Smith or Keanu Reeves. (Whoa!)

SOCRATES!

In closing, confirmation was bad ass.

an observation

Is it possible for anyone to mention the Green Bay Packers without mentioning the "Frozen Tundra of Lambeauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Field"?


I mean, that's how all the sports talking heads pronounce it right? Lambeauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
It would be like Lisa talking about her Malibooooooooooooooooo Stacey dolls on the Simpsons all the time. The Simpsons would have only been on the air for one, maybe two seasons max instead of almost all my life if this were the case.

I just can't believe that after all these years, it hasn't gotten old yet. In GI Joe: The Movie*, Cobra La, went around yelling, "Cobra LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!".


And it got old.



Real fast.




I mean like the first time I heard it old.

Same theory here.

Note to Berman and Co. it's beat. Please stop.**

Thanks.

*more to come on the GI Joe Movie...if you're lucky.
**please understand that I am under no illusion that anything I write on this site will be seen by more than a handful of folks. (and yes, that includes my dogs)